The National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) will be conducting the NICL AO Exam 2025 to recruit Administrative Officers for both Generalist and Specialist positions. To clear this exam with confidence, it’s important to know the NICL AO Syllabus and Exam Pattern. Having a clear knowing of what to study helps in structuring your preparation better and staying focused on important topics. This article gives you a complete overview of the syllabus, exam stages, and paper patterns.
Table of Contents
Overview
The NICL AO exam includes multiple phases: Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Candidates applying for Specialist and Hindi Rajbhasha posts will have additional descriptive sections. The questions are objective in nature, with negative marking of 0.25 marks for wrong answers.
| Organization | National Insurance Company Limited |
|---|---|
| Post | Administrative Officer (Scale I) |
| Categories | Generalist, Specialist, Rajbhasha |
| Exam Phases | Prelims, Mains, Interview |
| Mode | Online |
| Negative Marking | 0.25 marks |
| Official Website | www.nationalinsurance.nic.co.in |
Selection Process
| Post Type | Selection Phases |
|---|---|
| Generalist | Prelims → Mains → Interview |
| Specialist | Prelims → Mains (Objective + Descriptive) → Interview |
| Hindi Rajbhasha | Single Stage (Objective + Descriptive) |
Prelims Pattern
The prelims is the first screening round and includes three sections. The total duration is 60 minutes.
| Subject | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 30 | 30 | 20 minutes |
| Reasoning Ability | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 35 | 35 | 20 minutes |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 60 mins |
Mains Pattern
| Subject | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 50 | 50 | 40 mins |
| Reasoning Ability | 50 | 50 | 40 mins |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 50 | 50 | 40 mins |
| General Awareness | 50 | 50 | 30 mins |
| Computer Knowledge | 50 | 50 | 30 mins |
| Total | 250 | 250 | 180 mins |
For Specialist Post
In addition to the objective section, this includes a descriptive paper worth 30 marks.
| Subject | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 40 | 30 mins |
| Reasoning Ability | 40 | 40 | 35 mins |
| Quantitative Aptitude | 40 | 40 | 35 mins |
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 | 20 mins |
| Computer Knowledge | 40 | 40 | 25 mins |
| Professional/Technical Knowledge | 50 | 50 | 35 mins |
| Descriptive Paper (Essay, Precis, Comprehension) | – | 30 | 30 mins |
| Total | 250 + 30 | 250 + 30 | 180 mins |
For Hindi (Rajbhasha) Officer
This includes both objective and descriptive parts, with questions in Hindi and English.
| Subject | Questions | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 40 | 40 | 35 mins |
| Reasoning | 40 | 40 | 35 mins |
| Hindi Grammar, Vocabulary, Official Language Rules | 40 | 40 | 30 mins |
| General Awareness | 40 | 40 | 25 mins |
| Hindi-English Translation Test | 40 | 40 | 25 mins |
| Descriptive: Essay, Precis, Comprehension, Letter | 4 | 50 | 60 mins |
| Total | 250 | 250 | – |
Prelims Syllabus
- Reading Comprehension
- Cloze Test
- Fill in the Blanks
- Spelling Checks
- Sentence Correction
- Error Spotting
- Para Jumbles
- Vocabulary
- Articles and Prepositions
Quantitative Aptitude
- Simplification
- Ratio & Proportion
- Number Systems
- Profit and Loss
- Time and Work
- Data Interpretation
- Simple & Compound Interest
- Permutation & Combination
- Probability
- Mensuration
Reasoning
- Coding-Decoding
- Seating Arrangement
- Blood Relations
- Syllogism
- Alphanumeric Series
- Puzzles
- Direction Test
- Inequality
- Data Sufficiency
Mains Syllabus
- Current Affairs (National and International)
- Awards and Honors
- Books and Authors
- Appointments
- Defense, Sports, Obituaries
- Financial Terms and Budget
- Government Schemes
- International Organizations
- Banking and Insurance Awareness
Computer Knowledge
- Internet and Networking
- Basics of Hardware and Software
- MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Email Functions
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Computer Terminology
For Specialist posts, candidates must prepare subject-specific topics like Law, IT, Accounts, Automobile Engineering, etc., depending on their specialization.
Knowing the NICL AO Syllabus 2025 is your first step to creating an efficient preparation plan. Whether you’re appearing for the Generalist, Specialist, or Hindi Officer post, break down the syllabus into weekly targets, take regular mocks, and revise your weak areas to boost confidence and accuracy before exam day.
FAQs
How many phases are there in NICL AO exam?
There are three: Prelims, Mains, and Interview.
Is there negative marking in NICL AO 2025?
Yes, 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer.
Are the NICL AO papers bilingual?
Yes, all papers are available in both English and Hindi.
Is the descriptive test online or offline?
The descriptive test is conducted online and typed on the computer.
What is the total mark of NICL AO Mains for Specialist post?
It is 250 marks for Objective + 30 marks for Descriptive.
